Northern Thailand & Beaches

An incredible 21-day experience covering all the best bits of an amazing country. From rivers, waterfalls and ancient temples in Central Thailand, to the jungles and mountains in the North to the amazing lakes, islands and beaches of the South, this trip has something for everyone and is almost certainly the best full country group tour of Thailand around.
We start in Bangkok and finish on the island paradise of Koh Phangan, stopping at so many varied and beautiful destinations you will not believe they are all in the same country. You will do more adventure activities then you can shake a stick at and have the best time of your entire life as you’re whisked around paradise with a new group of friends.
As always you’ll travel in a group and will not have to worry about a thing. We take care of all the details so you can kick back, take in the incredible sights and enjoy the diverse and awesome activities, and trips we have lined up for you.

Itinerary

Day 1 – BKK – Airport pick up – Check-in, Chill out
We will be there to greet you when you arrive and will take you straight to our hotel near the famous backpacker hot spot of Khao San road. Even if you arrive one or two days before the start of the trip we will still pick you up, will introduce you to any other early arrivals and give you some ideas for stuff to do and see in BKK before the tour starts. There are no activities planned for day one so you have time to get settled in and meet your new travel mates. In the evening we’ll take you to one of our favorite restaurants and then for a few drinks on Khao San road so we can all get to know each other over a beer or a bucket or three!
Day 2 – Kanchanaburi bound – Floating Market & Kayaking on the River Kwai
Leaving Bangkok in the morning by private mini bus, we’ll get a real taste of Thailand as our first stop is Taling Chan floating market, possibly one of the coolest sites to see around Bangkok. After a bit of sight seeing and shopping, we head on to Kanchanaburi where we take part in another water based, but very different, activity: kayaking under the famous ‘Bridge Over the River Kwai’. If you want to learn more about the interesting history of the area, this bridge and the railway line that was built here during WW2 there are a few war museums that are worth a visit.
Day 3 – Erawan Waterfalls
Just an hour away from Kanchan town sits possibly Thailand’s most famous waterfall, and for a country that boast many waterfalls both big and small, that is no small claim. Erawan waterfall has seven levels with different features and every one of them is jaw droopingly beautiful. Make sure you bring a towel and your swimming costume because you will undoubtedly want to take a dip in the crystal clear water on some, if not all, of the levels as we trek from one to the next. When we arrive back at our guesthouse you will have a few hours to explore the town or chill by the pool before we catch up in the evening for dinner and a few drinks.
Day 4 – Ayutthaya – Ancient ruins and history
After a bit of a lie in we get back on the road to the ancient city of Ayutthaya. This was actually Thailand’s second capital (before Bangkok) and is absolutely dripping in history and culture. We’ll explore the ancient city ruins by bike, take in the incredible sights of the UNESCO world heritage site and learn a little about the fascinating history of this place and indeed the Kingdom of Siam (Thailand) before grabbing a bite to eat and hopping on the night train to our next destination, Chiang Mai. The train is comfortable and everyone gets their own full size bed with covers and pillows etc. You can use the time on the train to catch up on sleep or take in the views. We’ll arrive nice and early in the famous and beautiful city of Chiang Mai.
Day 5 – Chiang Mai – Temples, Culture and View Points
After we check into our new accommodation, which is ideally situated between the old and new areas of Chiang Mai, you’ll have time to chill by the pool, explore or check out the oldest temple in Chiang Mai which is right opposite our hotel.
After some lunch we jump in a cab up to the most famous temple in Chiang Mai – Wat Pra Maha Doi Sutthep (or just Doi Sutthep for short) – This beautiful temple is situated way up high on the side of a mountain so the views from the top are incredible and you get a panoramic view of the whole of Chiang Mai.
Days 6 & 7 – Jungle Trekking & Hill tribe home stay
Today we head off to do one of Northern Thailand’s must-do activities – a jungle trek. During the two-day trek we’ll see plenty of cool things and will spend a night in a hill tribe village home stay, so you can experience what life is like for the many traditional hill tribes of Northern Thailand whose way of life has not changed a lot in many years. During the trek you’ll see all kinds of trees, plants and wildlife, we’ll do some bamboo rafting in the river and maybe even stop by another waterfall or two to freshen up after some long walks. This does not require a very high level of fitness but is a bit of a challenge, so you will definitely have earned the next beer we crack open when we get back to Chiang Mai!
Day 8 – Zip lines through the jungle canopy
Chiang Mai is known to some as the adventure capital of Thailand and for good reason. There are loads of cool activities to do up here and our absolute favourite of these and probably the most popular with tourists is Zip Lining; an amazing experience certain to get the heart racing and adrenaline pumping. Almost flying from platform to platform through the canopy of the jungle up to 50m above the ground, throw in some rope bridges and a few abseils and you’ll experience the jungle in an entirely different (and much faster) way than walking through it at ground level.
Day 9 – Elephant Sanctuary
Today we will get to know some of the planet’s most amazing and majestic creatures. Many of the elephants here have been saved from hard lives spent working in the logging industry or in unethical elephant trekking camps where they must wear heavy metal saddles and carry tourists around all day in the heat. This is not only bad for the elephants’ physical health but also their mental health. Often they are chained up, kept in small enclosures and isolated from their family. Fortunately, this practice is dying out and while there are still many places that do it and some tourists who support it, there are now many more that do not and as a result of pressure from tourists and travel companies it is becoming far less common.
At this sanctuary, all of the elephants are free to roam and are not forced to do anything unnatural. When we arrive we will be given a quick briefing and learn about some of the resident elephants, then we can feed them some sugar cane and banana (which they love) and get to know them a bit before we wonder with them down to the river for a swim and a bath. This is an incredible experience and something that you will not forget for a long time.
In the afternoon we’ll jump on another mini bus and follow the mountain roads to the cool and quirky little town of Pai. It’s about three hours outside of Chiang Mai and is now a very popular backpacker destination for a number of good reasons. Nice scenery, cool stuff to see and do, very chilled vibe, lovely people, good bars and excellent food. Winning!
Day 10 – The life of Pai – Caves, canyons and hot springs…
Today we’ll take a day trip to see some of the natural features and highlights of the area. Starting at the biggest cave in Thailand (the Lod Cave), we’ll hike through one or both of the main chambers before taking a bamboo raft on the river that runs through the cave, (depending on season and accessibility). Afterwards we take a short drive to the local hot springs, a completely natural pool in the jungle which is heated by geothermal activity. Take a refreshing dip in the crystal clear water, give yourself a beauty treatment with the clay and float around in the perfect temperature pool before we head to a nearby waterfall with a natural slide and and beautiful view. We finish the trip high up at Pai Canyon which has an even more amazing view of the surrounding mountains and jungle. You can walk along the ridge and take some awesome pics as we watch the sun come down from the top. After a long day of sightseeing we’ll go to a nice restaurant and maybe a bar or two to sample some of Pai’s busy backpacker nightlife.
Day 11 – Nice as Pai – Tubing, chilling & circus skills
After a few days of travelling and activities we slow the pace right down with a relaxing day which requires very little effort from you. After a bit of a lie in, we head 1km up the river with some massive rubber rings then float back down in them, taking in the gorgeous scenery with a beer in hand. After this we will head to Fluid swimming pool and bar where many of the backpackers in town head to relax, catch some rays, cool down and socialise. When we are done here we’ll head up to Pai Circus School, a backpacker hostel with a difference. Not only does it have beautiful views of the surrounding country side a pool, a pool table and a bar, they also have some staff and volunteers who are there to teach the people how to do cool stuff like fire spinning, hula hooping, slack lining and juggling so if you have ever wanted to learn any of these (you will when you see how cool they are) then now is your chance. If it’s not your scene that’s fine, you can just relax by the bar, in one of the hammocks, or in the pool as we watch the sun come down.
Day 12 – Back to Chiang Mai & Cooking Course
When we return to Chiang Mai from Pai we will do yet another one of the areas most popular activities – a Thai cooking course.
Some of the most delicious food in Thailand comes from the North so why not learn to make a few of your favourite dishes from the masters. In the afternoon we get picked up and taken to one of the city’s most well established cooking schools. First stop is the local market where our guides and teachers will show us how to select the freshest and tastiest ingredients. You can choose between many well known dishes and will be shown step by step how to prepare each one. One of the best bits about it is that we will of course get to eat it all afterwards so don’t eat too much for lunch. This is another really great experience, even for those who don’t usually take to the kitchen too often.
Day 13 – Chiang Mai Canyon
Chiang Mai’s answer to the Grand Canyon. This is an awesome place to spend the day, it’s basically an old excavation site which is now a man-made lagoon that has been turned into an adult playground. There are floaties to chill on in the water, paddle boards, tubes and if you are brave enough you can do cliff jumping or even have a go at deep water soloing or climbing on their new climbing wall. There’s also a restaurant on site so we can grab, lunch, snacks and refreshments whilst there.
In the evening we head out into town once again for the final farewell dinner and party! Our last night in Chiang Mai.
Day 14 – Back to Bangkok, all aboard the night train…
For those who are just on the 14-day tour today is check-out day. However, you lucky 22 dayers have eight more days of awesomeness to look forward to, starting with a free day to explore Chiang Mai or take part in any of a number of additional optional activities. In the evening we will jump on the night train again to travel back to Bangkok.
Day 15 – Chao Phraya River Cruise and Temples
We arrive in Bangkok bright and early and will check into our Bangkok accommodation and meet any new group members who will be joining us for the last eight days.
We feel the best way to see Bangkok is by boat on the Chao Phraya River. We take you to two of the most prestigious temples in Thailand to experience some Thai culture before jumping on a local Tuk Tuk back though Bangkok to Khao San Road where we will have a late lunch and arrange a time to meet in the evening for dinner.
Day 16 – Thai Massage and Southward Bound
In the morning you will get to relax with a nice, traditional Thai massage which should loosen you up nicely for the final overnight journey of the trip. Taking in some different scenery as we head south towards Thailand’s southern beaches and our next destination, the stunning Khao Sok National Park.
Day 17 – Khao Sok National Park
We arrive at Surat Thani in the morning where we are picked up and taken to Khao Sok National Park. Khao Sok is home to some of the most incredible scenery in the world. We travel by long tail boat to get to our floating bungalows which are situated on a beautiful fresh water lake surrounded by mountains and rain forest (it looks like something at of Jurassic Park). You will be able to go kayaking, tubing, bamboo rafting, explore some caves or just relax and take in the stunning views; a huge contrast from Bangkok. Tonight we sleep in floating bungalows on the lake surrounded by the most beautiful scenery you could imagine.
Day 18 – Koh Phangan and Bottle Beach
After waking up on the lake at Khao Sok and grabbing a spot of breakfast, we will catch the ferry over to Koh Phangan. When we arrive we are taken to Bottle Beach (one of our favourite spots in Thailand), a beautiful, secluded bay in the North of Koh Phangan, we can chill out in the sea or on the beach and have our own private beach party with some cocktails around a camp fire, lanterns and music. You will spend the evening in your own private beach bungalow and can wake up at your leisure to the sound of the waves breaking on the sand.
Day 19 – Muay Thai and Baan Tai
Today you will have the morning to laze around on Bottle Beach, swim, play beach volleyball or football, build sandcastles or whatever else you want to do. Early afternoon we jump on a taxi boat back to civilisation and learn a bit of Thailand’s national sport, Muay Thai. Once you have worked up a sweat we head to Baan Tai to check into the resort where we will spend the next two nights. You have some free time to freshen up or chill on the beach before we meet for dinner and possibly one of Koh Phangan’s famous parties in the evening.
Day 20 – Island Boat Trip
After breakfast we head out on a big boat to see more of the beautiful island. Kick back on our boat as it takes us round the island and stops for snorkeling, waterfall trip (seasonal) and some of the islands most beautiful beaches. There’s music and a free bar on board so you will find it very tough not to have a great day.
In the evening we take you for a farewell dinner on us and then down to the full moon party beach to sample some of the night life that made the island famous.
Day 21 – Check out
All good things must come to end and so must unbelievably awesome ones. As usual we can help you sort out any onward travel needed or an extension if you wish to stay on the island for longer. Luckily for you we have timed these tours to finish on the day that either our Half Moon or Full Moon party packages commence so if you want make the ultimate Thailand experience even more epic, you can jump onto one of them and end the trip with an even bigger bang. Let us know as early as possible though as these trips fill up fast!

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